The invention relates to a device for stacking empty transportation pallets. The device comprises a pallet receptacle that is rotatably supported on a frame and is pivotable between a loading position and a removal position. The device further comprises active and passive locking elements for releaseably locking the pallet receptacle in the loading position and the removal position, respectively. One locking element is pivotable together with the pallet receptacle and another locking element is stationary relative to the frame.
In warehouse and order picking technology, transportation pallets are frequently used as a warehouse auxiliary for almost any type of goods or picked orders of goods. Especially the standardized “Euro pallets” are widely used. After emptying the transportation pallets, the empty pallets are stacked to pallet stacks, transported away, and then loaded again with goods or picked orders of goods. Almost always, the stacking of pallets to pallet stacks is done manually. This is heavy physical labor for the warehouse (storage facility) workers because the pallets have a significant weight and because it is necessary for forming the pallet stack to first lift the entire weight of the individual pallet to the level of the already formed stack and then place the pallet on the stack.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,828 B2 discloses a device for stacking pallets with which the heavy physical labor of the warehouse worker is reduced. The device has a pallet receptacle that is comprised of two legs and can be pivoted between a loading position and a removal a position. In the loading position, a warehouse worker can move the pallets with comparatively minimal force expenditure laterally into the pallet receptacle. Subsequently, the pallet receptacle, including the pallets collected therein, can be pivoted into the removal position. In the removal position, the pallets stacked to a stack can be removed by a warehouse operating device.
For loading the pallet receptacle as well as for removing pallets from the pallet receptacle, it is necessary to lock the pallet receptacle in regard to unwanted pivot movements. The known device has for this purpose two locking mechanisms: one for the loading position and another for the removal position. The locking mechanism for the loading position is arranged on the loading side and the locking mechanism for the removal position is arranged on the opposite removal side of the device. Both locking mechanisms are comprised each of a locking element that is pivotable together with pallet receptacle and a matching locking element that is stationary. As a pivotable locking element a bolt is provided on a leg of the pallet receptacle, respectively. Locking of the bolt is realized by means of a stationarily arranged pawl mechanism. For releasing the locking action, an actuating lever is provided. The actuating lever is arranged on the loading side of the device at some distance from the pallet receptacle and has separate cable pulls for the two pawl mechanisms by means of which the movement of the actuating lever is transmitted onto the pawls so that their locking action at the bolt is released. The cable pull for the pawl mechanism at the removal side is deflected about a plurality of deflection rollers and in this way guided onto the other side of the device.
In such a device the high constructive expenditure has been found to be a disadvantage. A further disadvantage of the device according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,828 B2 is that, as soon as the operator actuates the actuating lever, the pallet receptacle filled with the pallet stack and therefore having a significant total weight begins automatically to pivot in the direction toward the other end position. At this point in time, the operator has at least one hand on the actuating lever so that it is not possible for him to slow or stop the pivoting action, for example, in emergency situations.